Global strategy and marketing specialist Simon-Kucher & Partners has opened an office in Shanghai, increasing its footprint in Greater China to three locations.

Joining the firm’s bureaus in Beijing and Hong Kong, opened in 2010 and 2017, the new Simon-Kucher & Partners outlet in Shanghai reflects the Asia Pacific’s status as one of the firm’s fastest growing hot-spots, with local operations – including further APAC offices in Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney – helping to tip its revenues last year beyond the $300 million mark for the first time in the German-founded firm’s 30-plus year history.

“China is one of our key markets,” Simon-Kucher & Partners’ CEO Georg Tacke said of the launch. “We’ve implemented a number of projects in the greater Shanghai area in recent years. Opening another office in this global financial centre and major economic hub is the next logical step. At this location, we’ll be better able to serve our clients on site and successfully expand our business activities in China.”

Headed by Shanghai natives and Simon-Kucher Directors Jan Yang and Shengyun Lu, who will seek to leverage their many years of consulting experience and valuable regional network, the new office will focus on mobility services and the automotive, consumer goods, production, and technology industries – with the latter serving as one of the firm’s biggest growth drivers, especially in terms of the global shift towards digitalisation. So far this year, revenues are up an additional 19 percent on last year – with an equally positive forecast for the remainder of the year.Pointing to the Software/Internet/Media, Financial Services (Banking and Insurance), and Consumer Goods/Retail sectors as the strongest contributing domains for Simon-Kucher’s strong recent results, Tacke previously noted that, “These sectors are particularly involved in digital transformation. Many companies are seeking answers to the coming disruption. Our consulting services are in extremely high demand in this arena.”

Mark Billige, Board Member and Managing Partner for Simon-Kucher in the UK commented on the firm’s expansion: “It’s been an exciting year for Simon-Kucher so far. We’ve opened offices in Chicago, Cairo and Shanghai, and have plans to open in Mexico too… These markets provide great opportunities, and our presence means we can continue to offer our clients both the global and local support they require.”

The new office launches in 2018 take the firm’s global footprint to 37 outlets in 24 countries, together hosting more than 1,100 associates, with the Cairo addition marking its presence on every continent. A further new office is slated for Mexico in the second half of this year. As for its latest launch in Shanghai, the firm’s two local leads tasked with its development, Yang and Lu, have between them a diverse wealth of consulting experience, with Yang having been with Simon-Kucher for the past ten years and Lu joining after a five-year stint with Roland Berger.